Access the latest support and guidance from the NI Business Info website here.
Trader Support Service
If you are a trader or carrier that moves goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, you need to register for the Trader Support Service, otherwise you will not be able to move goods between the regions.
New rules for trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will take effect on 1 January 2021, and your business needs to be ready.
The Trader Support Service will raise declarations on your behalf for free. Training and support is available now.
Register for the Trader Support Service here.
Northern Ireland Protocol update
The Government has issued further guidance for businesses moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol. Due to take effect at the end of the Transition Period, the Protocol is the practical solution designed to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Exporting NI to GB
Moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain should take place as it does now – there will be no additional process, paperwork, or restrictions on Northern Ireland goods moving to Great Britain, delivering unfettered access.
Exporting GB to NI
Changes for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be kept to an absolute minimum but will entail some new admin processes, notably new electronic import declaration requirements, and safety and security information, for goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. These are needed to make sure that tariffs are not paid on trade within the UK and that goods going to Ireland pay tariffs when they should.
Access the latest guidance from Government on moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol here.
Northern Ireland trade updates
If you're trading between GB and NI, you will need an EORI number that starts with XI in order to continue.
Yes, this is different to your GB EORI number, and you will need your GB EORI number to apply for your XI EORI number. If you don't have a GB EORI number, you can apply for both at the same time. The application takes 5-10 minutes.
Hopefully if you trade with NI, you've already signed up for the Trader Support Service (TSS) we've previously told you about. Although the TSS takes a lot of the work out of your hands, the Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy is offering free training once you've signed up. These courses are available:
- Introduction to Customs,
- Great Britain to Northern Ireland Trade
- Introduction to Tariffs and Classification
- Logistics in GB:NI Trade
- Trade Procedures and Documentation
It's all online and more courses are coming soon. There are also webinars you can play back at any time.
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